A scary story with a cozy ending is always shivery fun for reading to young preschoolers many times over. Bright, clear computer graphics show small animals fishing and playing in the woods, the piglets and rabbits in jeans, shirts, and caps. Then they hear a distant howl echoing through the trees. A shadowy figure becomes a dark monster getting closer and closer. It is a wolf in suit and tie, huge and glowering (The moonlight shines on his fangs. / His belly growls with hunger pangs ). Adult animals shoo the small creatures inside, where they pull the shades, and hide behind an armchair--until the wolf opens the door, and surprise! It's happy birthday to him. Safe at home, kids will enjoy the mounting suspense, and feel smug about the happy ending. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2007 Booklist

At the first sign of Wolf's shadow, the animals grab their children and run for cover into a dark house. All is tense until Wolf opens the doors and finds...a surprise party in his honor. The rhyming text is singsongy, and the slick illustrations are uneven in quality but effective in conveying a sinister mood. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 1-Suspense builds from the very first page of this new twist on the not-such-a-big-bad-wolf theme. The simple rhyming text describes the various ways in which the denizens of the forest prepare for Wolf's imminent arrival. With a powerful sense of impending doom, the absurdly anthropomorphized creatures frantically leap into action, ostensibly to protect their young: "Closer, CLOSER./Next to me./Pull the shade/so he can't see./WOLF'S COMING!" The ending will bring a huge sigh of comic relief as the reason for all the preparation is revealed. Saturated with color, the cartoonlike illustrations depict characters that are more human than animal, but will likely appeal to young children. With each turn of the page, the pictures grow progressively darker, helping to create and sustain the intended mood.-Debbie Lewis O'Donnell, Alachua County Library District, Gainesville, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.